November 1977

WHAT CAN A CREDIT UNION OFFER YOU?

Credit unions have always been in the business of helping the little guy. In fact, one reason they were formed over 125 years ago was to enable people to get loans at decent rates when big financial institutions weren't interested.

How to carve the BIG BIRO

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS in SCHOOL

Education researchers are confirming what good parents have suspected all along: that success or failure in school is largely contingent upon the home.

GARDENING IN NOVEMBER

Don't be fooled into thinking that November is a nothing month in the gardening calendar. The work you do in your garden this month can spell success or failure next spring. Here are some of the worthwhile things you can accomplish in your vegetable garden before winter.

How to make the most of your FRINGE BENEFITS

For every dollar paid in wages in the U.S., another 35 cents goes to fringe benefits-- everything from paid vacation days to health insurance to moving and education costs. The total value to most workers is hardly "fringe" anymore; indeed, most families count a great deal on those extras.

Cold-weather starting tips the service stations use

You know the frustrations of trying to get your car started on a cold winter's day. Nothing happens when you turn the key. The engine just barely turns over and won't catch. Or if the engine starts, it only runs for a few seconds before stopping.

ROASTING THE HOLIDAY BIRD

To serve a succulent turkey, follow these step-by-step directions.

PLANNING A LAUNDRY AREA

Get yourself up and out of that dingy laundry room on washdays! By setting up your laundry center near the living area, you can minimize running to and fro. Here are some possible locations.

How to Plan an Old-fashioned Family Reunion

Renew family ties. Rekindle family affection. Gather the clan-- from near and far-- and get acquainted or reacquainted.

WOOD MOLDINGS ADD THE FINAL TOUCH

Whether you're trimming out a new house or finishing a remodeled room, the final touches are important. The last step for most rooms is the installation of moldings-- those decorative strips of wood that cover seams and joints. Base, ceiling, chair rail, and window and door casing-- all are moldings you apply basically the same way.

WHAT'S WHAT IN HAIR REPLACEMENT?

If you're losing your hair and if you're really bothered by it, take a closer look at the alternatives to baldness. Of course, there's nothing quite like having your own head of hair, but a good hair replacement can do a lot for your appearance and your morale.

How to keep your teeth clean, bright, and healthy

Dentists would be among the first to admit that the best way to keep your teeth looking and feeling their best is with daily at-home care.

HOW TO OPEN UP A ROOM

TIPS TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

A REGULAR FEATURE DESIGNED TO MAKE AROUND-THE-HOUSE JOBS EASIER FOR YOU

OVERHEAD STORAGE: FOUR DO-IT-YOURSELF UNITS

6 Super Laundries

A cure for the common cold may still elude us, but we've just about banished the "Monday washday blues." Thanks to easy-care fabrics and whiz-bang laundry equipment, keeping the family clean is infinitely easier than it used to be.

QUICK-GROWING HYDROPONIC GARDENS

If you like fast results from your gardening efforts, look into hydroponic growing. With this method, plants root in a sterile, soil-free growing medium and are watered daily with a nutrient solution that's ideal for quick growth. Since roots don't have to stretch out to search for food, less space is required than for conventional gardening. And, if you automate your system, hydroponic growing is care-free as well as compact.

Energy-saving Christmas lights

Paintable silicone caulk

High-speed color film

Two-faced wrapping paper

Easy access refrigerator

How to buy a Washer and Dryer

Whether you're buying your first washer and dryer or replacing old ones, here are some guidelines to help you choose wisely.

STRATEGY PUZZLES YOU CAN MAKE

Wire and wood, lengths of cord and leather, plus a little paint-- that's all you need to create these strategy puzzles. They're fun any time of the year, and they make ideal stocking stuffers at Christmastime.

Mother Goose Stitch'n Stuffs: Nursery Rhyme Dolls and Quilt

Have you seen the Muffin Man? Here he is, along with his nursery rhyme friends. All ten are exclusive Better Homes and Gardens dolls. Also available to our readers is a companion set of printed quilt squares depicting six other favorite Mother Goose tales.

HOW TO MAKE MORE OF YOUR MASTER BEDROOM

Is your master bedroom miserly about storage and arrangement possibilities? If so, check out the ingenious space solutions we devised for these two bedrooms. Both yield the maximum in terms of storage, comfort, and stylish good looks.

Designs from Nature DUCKS--"Graceful Lined and Neat Attire"

Over the past months we have explored many of the ways you can capture designs from nature in your crafts and needlework projects. Here are more from nature's bounty. To make your creative spirit soar, we've chosen several woodland birds, including the dignified mallard, described so aptly by John Audubon in the words above.

HOUSEPLANTS IN BLOOM!

One great way to brighten your winter is to simulate spring with flowering houseplants. If you treat them right, you can coax them into bloom on a regular schedule. Some, like Swedish ivy and string-of-pearis may surprise you with delicate blooms. Others, such as acalypha and 'Moon Valley' pilea, offer spectacular foliage year-round.

MORE EASY-DOES-IT PARTY IDEAS

Here are five more party ideas to round out your great-ways-to-entertain collection. And we've also included some helpful hints to make sure your party runs smoothly. Like the parties suggested on previous pages, these get-togethers all have one thing in common-- they're designed to be easy on you.

Fold-and-stash shopping tote

... shopping expeditions, do you ever wish you had an ... pair of hands to hold those packages? Our fold-and-... tote is the next best thing. This 13x4-inch carryall is into a handy 5-inch square-- Just the right size for ... or purse. Add a washable lining, and your bag is ... to hold just about anything, anytime.

Ideas for photo gifts

Looking for some offbeat gift ideas? They're right in front of your eyes! Using your camera, you can create unique Christmas presents.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

A long, cold winter is hard on all of us, but it's even tougher on plants. Here's a checklist of things you can do to help your plants weather the winter.

SLICE-OF-SPACE DINING

Easy-on-you parties for children

You can pull off a talk-of-the-block birthday party with minimum effort. Just plan ahead, ask your child for ideas, and keep cool.

How to order material from the magazine

DECOY KITS available in three styles: 12-inch mallard full-size 15-inch mallard, and 11½-inch wood duck. Decoys are fully carved and sanded from seasoned white pine. (You finish with paints or stain and varnish, ... available.) Kit includes hand-made glass eyes, painting guide for making either drake or hen, fine and medium sandpaper for final finishing, and complete instructions.

Laundry problems solve

Among life's minor frustrations the just-washed shirt that looks ... and the just-dried polyester ... that's wrinkled as a prune. He how to solve these and other ... mon laundry problems.

THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE

If you would like to meet and live for a short time with people of other nations, you'll be interested in the new nonprofit organization called the Friendship Force.

SPECIAL DIETS GUILT-FREE HOLIDAY FEASTING

Holiday meals can pose a problem if you're on a restricted diet. But by making a few adaptations, you'll find that you can feast along with the rest of the family. Check these tasty suggestions for diabetic, low-sodium, fat-controlled, and low-calorie diets.

Duck Decoys: To carve and collect

In the last decade and a half, decoy collecting has changed dramatically. Once it was the somewhat esoteric and inexpensive hobby of a few discriminating sportsmen. Today antique American duck decoys command thousands of dollars apiece at high-class auction houses and exclusive galleries specializing in Americana.

Deck the walls

Neat laundry rooms

How to welcome houseguests when you're not at home

Your houseguests are coming for a one-or two-day visit, but you can't take time from your job. What can you do? With a little planning, you can make your guests feel welcome while you're still at the office.

Big-City Weekends: Two On The Town

What with the hustle and bustle of new seasons in the performing arts, and stores stocked to the rafters for the holidays, who could deny that autumn is the most exciting time of the year in America's big cities? And, it's a perfect time for a husband and wife to leave the kids at home and enjoy a city weekend just for two.

A clean-as-a-whistle playroom

How to grow an amaryllis

For a spectacular wintertime ... show, you can't beat an ... (Hippeastrum). This ...... beauty thrives with a mini... of care and will easily produce our or five 8-to 10-inch lilylike ... on a single stalk. Colors ...... red, pink, salmon, white, and ...

HOW TO HELP YOUR PET WEATHER WINTER

While you're readying your family for winter, don't overlook the family pet. He needs special attention before cold weather hits and throughout the winter months, too.

A Vestibule Garden Room

Shopping editor's choice

The Man Next Door

"Although it remains more blessed to give than to receive," the Rev. George Hall declared last Sunday, "too many people are inclined to investigate the tax implications before making the final decision."